ATM Tanzania Mission
This is a day to day recap of the recent mission to Tanzania by Africa Transformation Mission.
First Day
In obedience to Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...", the ATM team comprising of Pastor Mary Mugo (the Administrative Pastor), Sam Gitonga (the Youth Leader), John Mulu (the Young Transformers' Leader) and Peter Gikonyo (the Head of the Media Department), set out to Tanzania on 21st August, 2013. A pastor in Tanzania had organized for a three-day crusade and had requested Pastor Mary to minister, who assembled the team according to the leading of the Spirit. The journey was long, so the team had to stop over at Arusha after traveling for 6 hours on the road and spend the night.
Through God's favor the pastor who was to host the team in Chela, Kahama (the destination), sent a young lady called Neema to receive the team in Arusha and stay with them, later on accompanying them on the long journey to Kahama. This was a great sacrifice for Neema, who had come from Kahama on the same day, for 9 hours, just to receive the team. Neema was to wait in Arusha for the team, but had to rush home (Kahama) to see her ailing father, which is why she had to travel back when the team arrived. The team spent the night at a hotel in Arusha.
Second Day
Early in the morning at 6am the journey to Kahama started, on a bus. With a 10 minute stop over in between and two other very brief stop overs to answer nature calls by the bus driver, the whole journey to Kahama took 9 hours. The surprising thing was how good the roads were, all the way to Kahama. Upon arrival the team was received by Pastor Patrick, who was their host. You could tell the joy in his face, and gratitude to God for answering his prayers and those of the church in Kahama for bringing the team safely to Kahama. After bathing at a pastor's house in Kahama and a good Tanzanian meal, the team hopped on a taxi and set off to Chela on untarmaked road, the destination. 1 hour and 40 minutes later the team arrived in Chela, to be received by Pastor Patrick's household and church members with great joy, ululations and warm greetings. This was just a glimpse of the warm heart of the residents of this place.
The team spent the night in a rooms organized by the pastor, after being well fed.
Third Day
This was the day the crusade was starting. The morning was marked by planning for the first meeting, which started at 4pm. The venue was Pastor Patrick's church, which was under a half-pitched tent. Pastor Patrick is head over 9 churches in the region, and was in the process of putting up a big church, which was half-way done. In the mean time they worshiped under the half-pitched tent,. It was very exciting to watch people start streaming in to the venue at the sound of music. Their crusades are marked by lots of dancing presentations and songs by choirs, and it was such a beautiful sight to watch them dance their hearts out to the Lord. The Nairobi team was also asked to sing, and they presented 3 songs.
Soon people had filled the venue, with over 1,300 people in attendance, standing under trees since there were no seats or proper shelter against the sun. Pastor Mary took to the stage, with the message Return to Your Father, He Is Waiting For You With Love. In Tanzania they use Swahili a lot, so the team was believing God to help them communicate well in Swahili, since they were used to preaching and speaking in English, in Nairobi. The main texts were Luke 15:11-24 and Isaiah 1:18-19. She started by saying how God had sent Jesus His Son to go through what human beings go through, as both God and Man, and eventually die on the cross, that you and I may experience and know God's love. Jesus died that the power of sin may be broken over man. Jesus came to His own, who did not recognize Him, and those who accepted Him were given the right to be the sons of God (John 1:11-12).
The prodigal son was not wrong in asking for his inheritance portion, since this indicated that he knew what was his. When we know that the earth and all its fullness belongs to God (Psalm 24:1), we will mature and go to our Father to ask for the inheritance He promised us in His word. Many have gone a long way from the Father, and He was calling them back on that day, back to His love. If it was not for love, the father of the prodigal son would not have given the son his inheritance portion. Many continued to eat with pigs in the world like the prodigal son, whereas their Father has all the good things. Upon returning home, the prodigal son's father did not condemn him or punish him, he accepted him back and embraced him with love. This is the attitude of God towards prodigal sons and daughters who return home, that of embracing them with love. She finished by saying that if the people of Chela would return to God, He would allow them to eat of the fruit of the land (Isaiah 1:18-19). She made an alter call and 54 people surrendered their lives to Christ.
At the end of it all it was amazing how the Lord had used Pastor Mary to communicate His message to the people of Chela in fluent Swahili, all an indication of God's grace upon her.
Fourth Day
On this day the crusade was starting at 10am. Despite being on a Saturday, people still came to hear the word of God. 130 people were in attendance that morning. The Nairobi team presented 3 songs again, the people of Chela said they loved hearing them sing in English. Brother Sam was sharing the word, on God's Goodness. The main text was Genesis 1:4, 31, 2:9 and Romans 2:4. He started by saying how since the beginning God has been good and has never changed, all His creations were good. Man, after falling into the devil's temptation, introduced evil to the world. Once man fell, He took his eyes off God's goodness, and thus off God. Since then, Satan has been working hard to keep people from focusing their eyes on God's goodness, and just notice the evil. By taking eyes off God's goodness, people take their eyes off God, and are prone to be overcome by evil.
Despite men's evil, God has always been good, enough to send His Son to die in their place, since His goodness was not dependent on man. Up to date, God has always repaid man's rebellion with good, knowing that His goodness leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4). He finished by saying that whatever people focus on, it makes them (Matthew 12:33-35). Those who focus on God's goodness end up being good and seeing His goodness in their lives, thus reflecting Him. Those who focus on evil and negativities end up being evil and seeing evil in their lives. The choice is ours, whether to remain on the evil side or the good side. After an alter call one person gave her life to Christ.
After lunch, the meetings resumed. This time the team was asked to present 5 songs, which they did and the people were blessed by them. Pastor Mary took to the stage, with the message Leave It All, And Run To Jesus. The main text was John 4:4-30, about the Samaritan woman. She started by saying that God is not a respector of persons, that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, and never be put to shame (Romans 10:10-14). Leaving it all for Christ is gaining all. When one leaves all for Jesus, they will gain all. The Samaritan woman encountered the one Man who turned her life for Jesus, and when she did she left all, ran back to her home and brought many others to hear from Christ. The waters Jesus promised her and still offers to mankind are waters that satisfy, whoever drinks of them never thirst. Jesus told her that He was the gift of God; only the gift of God in your life will quench the thirst in your life. Some people seem to be full of good things, well dressed and clean, but on the inside they are very thirsty. Only by accepting Christ according to Romans 10:10 do we receive living waters, and never get to thirst again.
God will use the rivers of living waters that proceed from you when you accept Christ to bring healing, peace, happiness etc. to the world. God can make anyone flow with rivers of living water from their heart, if they only accept Christ. Jesus did not die that we may live average and mediocre lives, but that we may live lives with a difference, having abundance (John 10:10, Malachi 4:16-18). Jesus had come to destroy the works of the enemy (1 John 3:8), and is willing to do the same in your life if you come to Him with your weary burdens, in exchange for rest (Matthew 11:28). She then made an alter call and 29 people said yes to Jesus.
Fifth Day
On the final day of the meetings, the final meeting started at 10pm, and was a church service cum crusade. On this day there was still a fundraising to complete the building of the church, so choirs and representatives from the other 9 churches that Pastor Patrick oversaw came in a lorry. After numerous presentations from the choirs, including 4 songs from the Nairobi team, Pastor Mary took to the stage with a message that the Lord had given her for this last day, titled As In The Days Of Noah. The main text was Matthew 24:36-44. She started by saying that there will come a day when God will put an end to all the misery in the world, and create a new heaven and a new earth. On this day Jesus our Lord and Savior will come back, and get those who are His. This day as foretold in the scriptures will be as the days of Noah, when everyone was busy doing their own things and mocking Noah, who was faithfully obeying God and living in holiness. We are in the last days, when evil has increased and people continue to live their busy lives, in the futility of their thinking. Soon the Master was returning, and will selectively pick those who are His. Two will be doing the same activity, one will be picked and the other left.
It is upon us to be warned and ensure that we are those who will be picked, not the ones who will be left behind. She then made an alter call, and 60 people gave their lives to Christ.
The day ended with the fund raising. The Nairobi team marked their last night by watching videos of the dancing and singing with the Chela team on their laptops, who were fascinated to see how they did during the day.
Sixth Day
On the last day the team woke up early and left Chela at 7am, after quick goodbyes to the team that had awaken to bid them, and arrived at Kahama an hour and a half later. After breakfast they boarded a bus to Mwanza, which was five hours away, where they spent the night and traveled back to Kenya on 27th August 2013, via Sirare Border. The team arrived in Nairobi at 9.30pm.
All in all we give glory to God for everything. The sick were healed in Jesus' name, and 144 people gave their lives to Christ in total. Many lives were impacted through the powerful and life-changing messages shared, and the lives of the Nairobi team were also impacted by the many things they encountered in Tanzania. Just to mention a few, these are the things that strongly impacted the lives of the ATM team:
All glory goes back to God, who causes us be strengthened by His grace and who promised to always be with us till the end of age (Matthew 28:20).
We sincerely appreciate the support, from:
Thank you all all the support you gave us to ensure that the mission was a success, in terms of prayer, funding, moral support and all other forms of support. You are blessed.
Africa Transformation Mission is a ministry under Christ Harvesters Ministries, and is situated at Pramukh Plaza, 6th Floor, at the CBD (Sheikh Karume/ Munyu Road Junction).
First Day
In obedience to Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...", the ATM team comprising of Pastor Mary Mugo (the Administrative Pastor), Sam Gitonga (the Youth Leader), John Mulu (the Young Transformers' Leader) and Peter Gikonyo (the Head of the Media Department), set out to Tanzania on 21st August, 2013. A pastor in Tanzania had organized for a three-day crusade and had requested Pastor Mary to minister, who assembled the team according to the leading of the Spirit. The journey was long, so the team had to stop over at Arusha after traveling for 6 hours on the road and spend the night.
Through God's favor the pastor who was to host the team in Chela, Kahama (the destination), sent a young lady called Neema to receive the team in Arusha and stay with them, later on accompanying them on the long journey to Kahama. This was a great sacrifice for Neema, who had come from Kahama on the same day, for 9 hours, just to receive the team. Neema was to wait in Arusha for the team, but had to rush home (Kahama) to see her ailing father, which is why she had to travel back when the team arrived. The team spent the night at a hotel in Arusha.
Second Day
Early in the morning at 6am the journey to Kahama started, on a bus. With a 10 minute stop over in between and two other very brief stop overs to answer nature calls by the bus driver, the whole journey to Kahama took 9 hours. The surprising thing was how good the roads were, all the way to Kahama. Upon arrival the team was received by Pastor Patrick, who was their host. You could tell the joy in his face, and gratitude to God for answering his prayers and those of the church in Kahama for bringing the team safely to Kahama. After bathing at a pastor's house in Kahama and a good Tanzanian meal, the team hopped on a taxi and set off to Chela on untarmaked road, the destination. 1 hour and 40 minutes later the team arrived in Chela, to be received by Pastor Patrick's household and church members with great joy, ululations and warm greetings. This was just a glimpse of the warm heart of the residents of this place.
The team spent the night in a rooms organized by the pastor, after being well fed.
Third Day
This was the day the crusade was starting. The morning was marked by planning for the first meeting, which started at 4pm. The venue was Pastor Patrick's church, which was under a half-pitched tent. Pastor Patrick is head over 9 churches in the region, and was in the process of putting up a big church, which was half-way done. In the mean time they worshiped under the half-pitched tent,. It was very exciting to watch people start streaming in to the venue at the sound of music. Their crusades are marked by lots of dancing presentations and songs by choirs, and it was such a beautiful sight to watch them dance their hearts out to the Lord. The Nairobi team was also asked to sing, and they presented 3 songs.
Soon people had filled the venue, with over 1,300 people in attendance, standing under trees since there were no seats or proper shelter against the sun. Pastor Mary took to the stage, with the message Return to Your Father, He Is Waiting For You With Love. In Tanzania they use Swahili a lot, so the team was believing God to help them communicate well in Swahili, since they were used to preaching and speaking in English, in Nairobi. The main texts were Luke 15:11-24 and Isaiah 1:18-19. She started by saying how God had sent Jesus His Son to go through what human beings go through, as both God and Man, and eventually die on the cross, that you and I may experience and know God's love. Jesus died that the power of sin may be broken over man. Jesus came to His own, who did not recognize Him, and those who accepted Him were given the right to be the sons of God (John 1:11-12).
The prodigal son was not wrong in asking for his inheritance portion, since this indicated that he knew what was his. When we know that the earth and all its fullness belongs to God (Psalm 24:1), we will mature and go to our Father to ask for the inheritance He promised us in His word. Many have gone a long way from the Father, and He was calling them back on that day, back to His love. If it was not for love, the father of the prodigal son would not have given the son his inheritance portion. Many continued to eat with pigs in the world like the prodigal son, whereas their Father has all the good things. Upon returning home, the prodigal son's father did not condemn him or punish him, he accepted him back and embraced him with love. This is the attitude of God towards prodigal sons and daughters who return home, that of embracing them with love. She finished by saying that if the people of Chela would return to God, He would allow them to eat of the fruit of the land (Isaiah 1:18-19). She made an alter call and 54 people surrendered their lives to Christ.
At the end of it all it was amazing how the Lord had used Pastor Mary to communicate His message to the people of Chela in fluent Swahili, all an indication of God's grace upon her.
Fourth Day
On this day the crusade was starting at 10am. Despite being on a Saturday, people still came to hear the word of God. 130 people were in attendance that morning. The Nairobi team presented 3 songs again, the people of Chela said they loved hearing them sing in English. Brother Sam was sharing the word, on God's Goodness. The main text was Genesis 1:4, 31, 2:9 and Romans 2:4. He started by saying how since the beginning God has been good and has never changed, all His creations were good. Man, after falling into the devil's temptation, introduced evil to the world. Once man fell, He took his eyes off God's goodness, and thus off God. Since then, Satan has been working hard to keep people from focusing their eyes on God's goodness, and just notice the evil. By taking eyes off God's goodness, people take their eyes off God, and are prone to be overcome by evil.
Despite men's evil, God has always been good, enough to send His Son to die in their place, since His goodness was not dependent on man. Up to date, God has always repaid man's rebellion with good, knowing that His goodness leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4). He finished by saying that whatever people focus on, it makes them (Matthew 12:33-35). Those who focus on God's goodness end up being good and seeing His goodness in their lives, thus reflecting Him. Those who focus on evil and negativities end up being evil and seeing evil in their lives. The choice is ours, whether to remain on the evil side or the good side. After an alter call one person gave her life to Christ.
After lunch, the meetings resumed. This time the team was asked to present 5 songs, which they did and the people were blessed by them. Pastor Mary took to the stage, with the message Leave It All, And Run To Jesus. The main text was John 4:4-30, about the Samaritan woman. She started by saying that God is not a respector of persons, that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, and never be put to shame (Romans 10:10-14). Leaving it all for Christ is gaining all. When one leaves all for Jesus, they will gain all. The Samaritan woman encountered the one Man who turned her life for Jesus, and when she did she left all, ran back to her home and brought many others to hear from Christ. The waters Jesus promised her and still offers to mankind are waters that satisfy, whoever drinks of them never thirst. Jesus told her that He was the gift of God; only the gift of God in your life will quench the thirst in your life. Some people seem to be full of good things, well dressed and clean, but on the inside they are very thirsty. Only by accepting Christ according to Romans 10:10 do we receive living waters, and never get to thirst again.
God will use the rivers of living waters that proceed from you when you accept Christ to bring healing, peace, happiness etc. to the world. God can make anyone flow with rivers of living water from their heart, if they only accept Christ. Jesus did not die that we may live average and mediocre lives, but that we may live lives with a difference, having abundance (John 10:10, Malachi 4:16-18). Jesus had come to destroy the works of the enemy (1 John 3:8), and is willing to do the same in your life if you come to Him with your weary burdens, in exchange for rest (Matthew 11:28). She then made an alter call and 29 people said yes to Jesus.
Fifth Day
On the final day of the meetings, the final meeting started at 10pm, and was a church service cum crusade. On this day there was still a fundraising to complete the building of the church, so choirs and representatives from the other 9 churches that Pastor Patrick oversaw came in a lorry. After numerous presentations from the choirs, including 4 songs from the Nairobi team, Pastor Mary took to the stage with a message that the Lord had given her for this last day, titled As In The Days Of Noah. The main text was Matthew 24:36-44. She started by saying that there will come a day when God will put an end to all the misery in the world, and create a new heaven and a new earth. On this day Jesus our Lord and Savior will come back, and get those who are His. This day as foretold in the scriptures will be as the days of Noah, when everyone was busy doing their own things and mocking Noah, who was faithfully obeying God and living in holiness. We are in the last days, when evil has increased and people continue to live their busy lives, in the futility of their thinking. Soon the Master was returning, and will selectively pick those who are His. Two will be doing the same activity, one will be picked and the other left.
It is upon us to be warned and ensure that we are those who will be picked, not the ones who will be left behind. She then made an alter call, and 60 people gave their lives to Christ.
The day ended with the fund raising. The Nairobi team marked their last night by watching videos of the dancing and singing with the Chela team on their laptops, who were fascinated to see how they did during the day.
Sixth Day
On the last day the team woke up early and left Chela at 7am, after quick goodbyes to the team that had awaken to bid them, and arrived at Kahama an hour and a half later. After breakfast they boarded a bus to Mwanza, which was five hours away, where they spent the night and traveled back to Kenya on 27th August 2013, via Sirare Border. The team arrived in Nairobi at 9.30pm.
All in all we give glory to God for everything. The sick were healed in Jesus' name, and 144 people gave their lives to Christ in total. Many lives were impacted through the powerful and life-changing messages shared, and the lives of the Nairobi team were also impacted by the many things they encountered in Tanzania. Just to mention a few, these are the things that strongly impacted the lives of the ATM team:
- The divine provision of the Lord for the mission all through.
- The divine grace to travel all the hours on the road.
- The grace to preach in Swahili all through, being able to faithfully and effectively communicate that which the Lord had for the people of Chela.
- The warm heart of the people of Chela, and their generosity that caused them to share the little they had with such gratitude that the ATM team felt "overfed", if that is possible.
- The kindness of the people of Chela, and their respect and honor for visitors.
- The culture of the people of Chela of submission, them submitting to one another and living in joy. The women were so submissive that they knelt every time they served or greeted their elders.
- The favor God granted the ATM team, to have someone stay close to them such that they never felt lost at any one point, despite being in a foreign land. Favor also in getting a place to stay all through, God divinely providing through the pastor in Chela and His guiding hand elsewhere, in Arusha and Mwanza.
- The protection and safety in traveling.
All glory goes back to God, who causes us be strengthened by His grace and who promised to always be with us till the end of age (Matthew 28:20).
We sincerely appreciate the support, from:
- ATM Church Family
- Apostle Dr. David Karanja, ATM Senior Pastor
- Pastor George Kinyanjui, ATM Kisii
- Intercessor Grace Mwasya
- World Vision Christian Commitment team
- Pastor Patrick and the Kahama Church
- All our other supporters.
Thank you all all the support you gave us to ensure that the mission was a success, in terms of prayer, funding, moral support and all other forms of support. You are blessed.
Africa Transformation Mission is a ministry under Christ Harvesters Ministries, and is situated at Pramukh Plaza, 6th Floor, at the CBD (Sheikh Karume/ Munyu Road Junction).
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking your time to comment.
Blessings.